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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-02-23 Daily Xml
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Modbury Hospital

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:30): How many patients will be transferred each day via this shuttle?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:30): In response to feedback from clinicians during extensive consultation, consideration has been given to provision of a dedicated ambulance service to transfer patients between Modbury Hospital and the Lyell McEwin Hospital to ensure patients receive timely and appropriate care close to home. Media reports suggesting that the cost of a dedicated ambulance would be $15 million per annum are exaggerated: the actual cost is closer to $1.5 million. The Northern Adelaide Local Health Network currently transfers patients via the SA Ambulance Service across the northern network and other networks on a daily basis. Reduction in costs for this transport will offset the proposed dedicated service transfer cost.

Under Transforming Health the services at the Lyell McEwin Hospital and Modbury Hospital work more closely together to ensure north and north-eastern residents receive the best care first time every time closer to home. While both hospitals will continue to operate emergency departments staffed by specialists 24 hours a day seven days a week, the Lyell McEwin Hospital will be the major hospital for the north. For patients needing emergency medical treatment, ambulances will deliver them straight to the most appropriate hospital. Presentations to the Modbury Hospital emergency department—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned for the first and the second and final time; the member for Mitchell is warned for the second and final time; and the member for Florey is called to order, sorely provoked though she was. The minister.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Presentations to the Modbury Hospital which require more complex care or long-stay admissions are to be transferred to the Lyell McEwin Hospital or other specialist hospitals; for example, to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in the case of burns victims. To accommodate patients who need to be transferred between Modbury Hospital and the Lyell McEwin Hospital, NALHN is currently working with SAAS regarding the provision of ambulance transfer 24/7.

A dedicated patient transfer service is not a new concept to South Australia. The Southern Adelaide Local Health Network has a non-SAAS-operated dedicated patient transport service to transfer patients between some of its facilities. Patient transfers from Modbury to the Lyell McEwin Hospital currently occur daily. Between 1 January 2015 and 1 February 2016 approximately 1,100 patients were transferred by ambulance from Modbury to the Lyell McEwin, so there is already a significant number of patients being transferred at the moment.

In the same 13-month period approximately 2,000 patients were transferred from Modbury to other metropolitan hospitals, including the Lyell McEwin Hospital. Of course, the public is advised to call 000 in any medical emergency to ensure they can be taken to the most appropriate facility.

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is called to order and warned; the member for Chaffey is warned; and the member for Finniss is called to order. There are many members who are now about to be ejected under the sessional order.

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